Kir Family Fun

Kir Kids

Kir Parents

ESSENCE OF A BABY

It is a place to come to find out about treatments and services in relation
to pregnancy and birth and to receive information on many topics ranging
from infertility treatments to pain relief during labour

Information is power! Most women preparing for birth dread the reality
of the birth experience itself. Giving birth should be an empowering experience
for a woman. You should feel
in control of the process

Many women find it difficult to feel empowered in the environment of fear
that often surrounds the birth experience.
At essence of baby.com that fear is dispelled. Under the expert care of
Karen Costin you will receive reassurance, encouragement and treatments
to enable you to trust in your own innate ability to give birth

Pregnancy is
a four part cycle consisting of pre-conceptual care ,ante natal care, labour
management, and post-natal care . Each stage has distinct demands and rewards
for pregnant women and couples.

Karen Costin offers treatments that will allow you to prepare mind, body
and spirit for each phase in your pregnancy.

Since the advent of acupuncture analgesia, research centres the world over
have been engaged in an intense exciting race to find a rational explanation
for what makes acupuncture effective in pain control.Click the labour management
button on this page to Find out how to use acupuncture to prepare you and
your baby for labour and to control pain during labour.

Many factors can contribute to making a couple believe that they are destined
to remain childless because they have been diagnosed as suffering from 'unexplained
infertility', which basically means that medics can find no medical reason
why they cannot become pregnant. I work with the 20pc of couples who suffer
from 'unexplained fertility' and would like to introduce you to my infertility
programme:

infertility programme

70% of dis-ease in the body is caused by stress. There is a growing awareness
that stress is a contributing factor in infertility. Western medicinenow
has a label attached to the growing numbers of people who find it impossible
to conceive. The term used is 'unexplained infertility'. This condition
generally refers to a person who may not be able to conceive and yet appears
to have nothing physically wrong. Many cases of unexplained fertility stems
from a combination of factors which include emotional stress, blocked energy
fields and nutritional deficiencies and it is this level of healing which
in many cases assists people in achieving whole health and becoming pregnant.

ACUPUNCTURE + COUNSELLING

A lot of people experiencing problems conceiving suffer from additional
stresses of societal pressures. They often find it difficult to discuss
infertility with friends and family. For many there are issues around shame,
and fear of failure. Hiding the fact that you are trying to conceive is
very stressful . This can put a huge strain on marriages and partnerships.
The first thing I do is address the couple's feeling of panic around the
woman's cycle. The first session addresses issues around clients expectations
and what the benefits of the Acupuncture treatments will be in terms of
general well-being. Each subsequent session involves a combination of Acupuncture
treatments and counselling sessions.

Acupuncture releases the stress in the body, mind and spirit and takes
the emotional charge out of the monthly cycle. Having one's life ruled by
the countdown to ovulation is traumatic for women and their partners. I
provide my clients with a space to talk openly.

There is a growing amount
of research that shows that birth and conceptual experiences are related
to one's own birth experience. Acupuncture clears the blockages and lack
of equilibrium in a woman and facilitates the body to heal and rebalance
itself. Acupuncture is very effective at treating endometriosis which lowers
women's chances of conceiving.

NUTRTIONAL SUPPORT

Women regularly ask me for advice on what to eat and what to avoid in order
to improve their chances of conceiving. I offer a 10 week nutritional support
programme. Here are a few immediate changes to make.

Ø Adopt an organic diet - it has been well documented that reducing
toxins promotes conception
Ø Use a good water filter - too much fluoride can contribute to miscarriage
Ø Avoid using cleaning products that contain ammonia
Ø Avoid using pesticides in and around the home
Ø Avoid eating chicken - too much oestregen

Many women experience fear and anxiety about how they will give birth when
the time comes. 5 Element Acupuncture is a core level healing experience
that helps you address the issues.
All women who hope for a natural birth in a hospital environment should
write a birth plan
Hypremisis is the name given to extreme cases of vomiting during pregnancy
whereby the pregnant woman becomes de-hydrated, find out some of the do's
and don'ts of hypremisis

Over the last four years I have worked with women in their labour process
and I discovered that I ended up running a breathing and relaxation class
in the middle of the birth!!! Most women have lost that innate awareness
that we once all had to actually be still in the birth process. We have
lost the awareness that birth is actually hard work and that we need to
prepare our body, mind and spirit for what for many experience as an arduous
journey.

I run courses in four week blocks in the Celtic Health Centre in Ranelagh.
The content consists of Relaxation, breathing techniques and most importantly
a reconnection with one's innate ability to give birth and be empowered
by that process. The course is currently available to women who are interested
in becoming more informed. Courses for couples or birth partners are planned
for the future.

Many women experience fear and anxiety about how they will give birth when
the time comes. 5 element acupuncture is a core level healing experience
that helps you address the issues. Many mothers who experience core healing
during their pregnancy often talk about their 'acupuncture baby'. Most babies
start to move around when their mother is experiencing the relaxation associated
with acupuncture. Women have also reported that 'acupuncture babies' are
generally more relaxed, have little or no digestive problems and sleep longer.

Case History : Patient's Name Maria

Maria's mother had a great fear of giving birth. Maria in turn was aware
of how she carried that fear. Through the nine month gestation period, Maria
processed and cleared the deep cellular memories that she carried in her
body.

She used counselling and 5 element acupuncture to enable her to give birth
naturally to a 9lb 13oz baby boy - no episi0tomy and no fear!

Birth Plans - empower yourself with the 'write' word!
All women who hope for a natural birth in a hospital environment should
write a birthplan .The birth plan is an expression of your needs. Think
about it, speaking coherently during labour can often be difficult. So having
a piece of paper with your wishes is a good idea.

Coaching for your partner

Unfortunately the need for partner coaching is never really addressed. Many
husbands and partners have expressed a feeling of impotence at the time
that their child was being born in a hospital environment. Private sessions
are available with both the mother and her partner in order to address all
their issues and questions. Being involved in the birthing process from
the outset helps to make the process less frightening for a father.

Hyperemisis is the name given to extreme cases of vomiting during pregnancy
whereby the pregnant woman becomes de-hydrated. In Western medicine the
only option available is to re-hydrate the patient and administer an emetic.
Acupuncture is very effective in the treatment of nausea and vomiting during
pregnancy.

Since the advent of acupuncture analgesia, research centres the world over
have been engaged in an intense exciting race to find a rational explanation
for what makes acupuncture effective in pain control.

Acupuncture is also effective in preparing your baby for labour. It is
also important to process your fears and anxieties about giving birth.

It is usually preferable that you experience acupuncture on an ongoing
basis throughout your pregnancy. This generally helps you experience a happy
healthy pregnancy free of all the associated physical symptoms. Acupuncture
is extremely efficient at maintaining the blood pressure, preventing oedema
etc.

If you are due to give birth in the next few weeks, it is never too late
to start this process. Acupuncture is a very powerful system of medicine
- 80% of breech pregnancies are successfully rectified with acupuncture
in China.

Prior to your labour, I will usually visit you and your partner / husband
to answer any questions he may have regarding his needs during the labour
and what he would like to offer in terms of support. It is also important
that the partner feels comfortable with the acupuncturist.

Leading up to your labour, I will keep in contact by phone. Once I have
made a commitment to assist you in your labour, I am effectively on call
24 hours a day.

I prefer to come to your home prior to going into hospital. This allows
me to place the needles in position before your labour becomes too intense.
All needles are extremely fine and are taped down in order to facilitate
walking, bending and kneeling.

I will usually stay with you throughout your labour - this would average
out at approximately 12 hours. Acupuncture can assist your delivery in the
following ways.

1. Dilation can be encouraged.

2. Pain relief through acupuncture means you are able to work with the
contractions.

3. The placenta can be delivered swiftly without the use of drugs.

4. Acupuncture helps keep you in a relaxed state during your labour.

If you are thinking about having a natural birth in hospital, acupuncture
is a safe and effective way of ensuring that your labour is smooth and harmonious.